Measuring positive mental health in Canada: construct validation of the Mental Health Continuum—Short Form

Introduction: Positive mental health is increasingly recognized as an important focus for public health policies and programs. In Canada, the Mental Health Continuum— Short Form (MHC-SF) was identified as a promising measure to include on population surveys to measure positive mental health. It proposes to measure a three-factor model of positive mental health including emotional, social and psychological well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the MHC-SF is an adequate measure of positive mental health for Canadian adults.